Hi, I’m Smokey, the Library dragon. I’m here to tell you about the Remington Traditional School Library. Our librarian, Ms. Bacon, has been here since 2001. She likes for students to have fun in the library while they learn research skills and experience great books.
There is always research going on in the library. Ms. Bacon used to be a historical researcher and loves to train new researchers! Some research topics she focuses on with her classes are how to use reference materials, how to put information into your own words, and how to make bibliographies. She believes the best way to learn these things is to experience it yourself. In class, students will use reference books along with projects for the classroom. She likes to work closely with teachers so that what students are doing in the library tie into what students are working on in class. For example, when the fourth grade wrote biographies of famous Missourians, she taught them how to write a bibliography. She and the teachers come up with many creative ways to teach curriculum. Like the time the third grade was studying American landmarks. The students researched landmarks with a partner and then built the landmarks out of Legos. Research skills can be an exciting topic to learn.
I enjoy watching the students when they participate in reading activities. Ms. Bacon loves readings and wants all of her students to get the same excitement from books as she does. Many times you can see her classes pretending, doing plays, eating, or having fun with the stories they’ve read. For example, when the second grade read the Caldecott award-winning book The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, the students had a “snowball fight” with cotton. Ms. Bacon hoped that the activity would help them remember this great book. When the seventh grade studied Greek mythology, she dressed in a toga and told them the myth of Atalanta, the fastest woman in Greece, and then took them outside to run races against each other. Then groups of students acted out a myth and had to lead the class in an activity. Ms. Bacon also uses Pattonville School District’s Literacy Project to help students gain a deeper understanding of Communication Arts. We also have a lot of “guests” in the library sometimes frontiersmen, astronauts, and colonial leaders come to visit the students and talk about themselves. The guests always look a little bit like Ms. Bacon! Promoting reading is one of Ms. Bacon’s favorite jobs.
Students are allowed to have out up to five items at a time. They can keep the material until they are finished reading it. Ms. Bacon always says that she could rarely finish a book in two weeks, so it’s hard to expect students to read under a time limit. Students are welcome in the library whenever they need to come. Ms. Bacon taught the students how to check items out by themselves so they can get new materials even when she has a class. Kindergarten students come to the library everyday to get new books. It’s so exciting to see them every morning. They are so happy about getting new books! Ms. Bacon thinks the books won’t do anyone any good if they are stuck on a shelf. She wants everyone to have something to read.
To help students in seventh and eighth grade find interesting material, Ms. Bacon has started a Young Adult section. These books are labeled YA and are separated from general fiction. The content of these books are geared for middle school readers and are reserved for our two highest grades. She has been ordering lots of new fiction for this section, with the help of some of our students.
Our library has lots of student and parent volunteers. Ms. Bacon is very busy and couldn’t get everything done without your help. We appreciate everything the volunteers do to keep our library running. They help with organizing and working the fall book fair, book shelving, AR labeling, magazine processing, and sometimes they even help with us! If you are interested in volunteering give Ms. Bacon a call.
I love being the Library dragon and I hope you love coming to the library!
Thanks,
Smokey
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